In This Week’s Edition:
- FSMA Preventive Controls Guidance
- FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Guidance Published
- FDA Releases Instructional Video on Importing Human Foods Regulated
- USDA Launches Nutrition Hub to Combat Diet-Related Diseases in Underserved Communities
- FSIS Updates Directive on Food Defense and Threat Notification Response
- APHIS to Authorize the Importation of Fresh Baby Kiwi Fruit From France Into the U.S.
- USDA to Begin Issuing $1.75 Billion to Agricultural Producers Through Emergency Relief Programs
- Global Efforts to Address Plastic Pollution: An FDA Perspective
- How to Report Seafood-Related Toxin and Scombrotoxin Fish Poisoning Illnesses
- FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update
- FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
- FDA Import Alerts
- FDA Warning Letters
FSMA Preventive Controls Guidance
FDA is announcing the availability of two additional draft chapters of a multichapter draft guidance for industry entitled “Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food.” The chapters relate to food allergens and acidified foods and are available here.
FDA Releases FSMA Guidance on Sprout Production
FDA is announcing the availability of two guidance documents that will help sprout operations subject to FDA’s final rule entitled “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption” understand the topics covered in the Produce Safety Rule pertaining to personnel qualifications, training, and hygienic practices; equipment, tools, and buildings; and sampling and testing of spent sprout irrigation water.
FDA Releases Instructional Video on Importing Human Foods
FDA released a video titled “Importing FDA-Regulated Products: Human Foods” that provides basic information for importers, foreign suppliers/exporters, and customs brokers on the steps they need to take to successfully import safe and compliant food into the United States.
USDA Launches Nutrition Hub to Combat Diet-Related Diseases in Underserved Communities
USDA announced the opening of a pilot Nutrition Hub under the Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health initiative. The Nutrition Hub is being launched in partnership with Southern University, a historically black 1890 Land-grant University in Louisiana, and host of the USDA-funded 1890 Center of Excellence for Nutrition, Health, Wellness and Quality of Life.
USDA’s new Nutrition Hub is intended to be an engine for providing science-based, nutrition-related information at the community level, particularly in underserved communities disproportionately impacted by diet-related chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
FSIS Updates Directive on Food Defense and Threat Notification Response
This directive provides instructions to conduct food defense activities assigned to inspection program personnel at meat and poultry establishments, egg product plants, and import inspection establishments. Food defense activities include performing food defense tasks and observing and reporting food defense vulnerabilities. This directive also outlines the internal FSIS communication protocol for addressing threats to the food and agriculture sector.
APHIS to Authorize the Importation of Fresh Baby Kiwi Fruit From France Into the U.S.
USDA is advising the public of their decision to authorize the importation of fresh baby kiwi fruit from France into the continental United States. Based on findings of a pest risk analysis, which USDA made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, they have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh baby kiwi fruit from France.
USDA to Begin Issuing $1.75 Billion to Agricultural Producers Through Emergency Relief Programs
USDA announced that it will begin issuing more than $1.75 billion in emergency relief payments to eligible farmers and livestock producers. These payments are inteded to help farming and ranching operations recover following natural disasters in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Global Efforts to Address Plastic Pollution: An FDA Perspective
An arm of the United Nations is working to develop global consensus on how to reduce the rapid increase in plastic pollution. The United Nations Environment Assembly, which is the supreme governing body of the United Nations Environment Program, issued Resolution 5/14 on March 2, 2022. It requested that an intergovernmental negotiating committee be set up to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.
The FDA is an active participant in the U.S. government’s interagency efforts related to the negotiation, with the FDA’s Office of Global Policy and Strategy as the agency lead, facilitating expert perspectives from across the agency’s product centers and representing the FDA at interagency and multilateral INC meetings.
How to Report Seafood-Related Toxin and Scombrotoxin Fish Poisoning Illnesses
To help FDA effectively investigate, remove unsafe seafood products from the market, and develop new prevention strategies, the FDA relies on illness reporting from public health officials and healthcare providers. While most foodborne outbreaks are tracked through the FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation network, seafood-related illnesses caused by natural toxins have a unique reporting mechanism. See here for information on how to report seafood-related illnesses.
FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update
This week’s updates are:
- For the outbreak of Salmonella Newport (ref #1179) in a not yet identified product, the case count has increased from 10 to 11 cases.
FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
FDA Import Alerts
The latest FDA import alerts include imported food products that appear to be misbranded, foods containing undeclared allergens, and more.
FDA Warning Letters
The Vaping Dragon, LLC |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |
Caribbean Cloud Dot Com d/b/a Gorilla Vapes LLC |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |
The Vaping Dragon, LLC |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |
Zhao Qing Longda Biotechnology Co. Ltd. |
Refusal to Provide Access to and Copying of Records |
Gulf States International, Inc. |
Refusal to Provide Access to and Copying of Records |
PT. Winson Prima Sejahtera |
Seafood HACCP/CGMP for Foods/Adulterated/Insanitary Conditions |